Afternoon all! I have officially started my Brighton marathon training today - by jumping in at week 2 of an 18 week training schedule! Thought a longer schedule would help with building up more slowly, then put the dates in and realised it would start this week, then realised we're hoping to have a week off at Easter so I had to lose a week somewhere, and better at the start than the end! It was cold this morning though, but I took a beautiful photo of the sun rising which made up for it. Another 3 tomorrow!

Pip - good news about the knee, not so good about the hamstring but good that you saw the physio and you have your 'homework' to do now to get it better! Know what you mean about still feeling nervous - my friend was telling me I must know I'll be fine at Brighton, because I've got 'marathon legs' now (think it was a compliment!!), but it doesn't quite work that way. I told her I didn't know I could RUN a marathon, which is what I want to do this time!

Hello all!
Pip - great news about the knees!
B&t - ohhhhh, exciting starting the official training!
Mick- hello!
Kiwi - happy for you to use y mornings on here too for the book!

I had a 20k race on Saturday, but pulled out half way through. Haven't trained properly and have just been working 24/7 so was exhausted. No injuries, just exhaustion and a bruised pride. anyway, onwards and upwards. Will do a 13 mile training run this week and get over it. Then a 15 mile run the following week to kick start my marathon training! Although I'm worried I don't have the same determination this time round to do it.....

Kaffeeg, don't blame you for pulling up, it would have been silly to have pushed yourself if you are so tired, that's how injuries happen. You seem to be doing really well on your mileage though anyway. It will be back to square one for me ... ah well not to worry.

B&T only have one word for you brrrrrrrrrrrrrrr !! well done for running in the blooming freeing cold !!! my training starts next week eeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeek !!! .... must add running jacket to list for Father Christmas what plan are you following ?

Its the Hal Higdon Novice 1 plan Pip - so builds up fairly gently, no speed work in it (but I will try and do 1 of the shorter runs a bit faster, just for a bit of variety) so hopefully no injuries!

Another 3 miles this morning - 3 miles, 3 days on the trot is a bit of a shock to the system, as was the cold this morning. Even with 2 long sleeve tops, long tights, hat, gloves and hi viz gilet I was cold. By the end I'd mostly warmed up, but my hands were numb. Have sneakily ordered myself some new gloves as I can't wait for Christmas! Which plan are you going to follow?

Kaffeeg - how are you now?

Waves hello to everyone - and where have all the new posters gone? Did we scare them off???

that's the one I am doing !! gloves are a definately a good idea and a woolly hat !! I am hoping it will be a bit warmer when I start next week..... bet you it will be back to pouring with rain then though

do you know I was thinking the same thing about the new peeps.... where are they ???

yeah to Christmas smilies there is even one of these hee hee love it !

How have you managed without hat and gloves for so long?!! I wear mine lots.

Pip - hope the knee is on the mend.

Kaffeeg - hope you've recovered after the race.

I am very jealous of you all. My running was ticking along fine apart from it raining all the time and I was getting physio on my dodgy hip. Then I started to feel poorly and it turns out I have pneumonia. How on earth did that happen? Never had any chest problems before. First lot of antibiotics didn't work. Second lot seem to be but I am completely wiped out and not even leaving the house. I have another doctor's appointment next week so will ask them if they think I will be back running in time to train for an April marathon. At the moment, I would be happy to be able to walk upstairs without getting completely puffed out!

Ah Aber - that is bad news Really hope the anti-bs work this time, and that you can fight off the bugs and recover quickly. Still plenty of time

I do have gloves and hats - but I do have a problem with my hands. Once they get cold, they REALLY hurt. Obviously today's weren't warm enough - hence the new ones! As fo rhats, wrote a blog post complete with unflattering photos about the trials of finding good running head wear today. Think my fleece headband is probably the best - keeps my ears toasty!

Pip - umm, weather forecast is back to rain by the end of the week - just in time fo rmy 'long' run of a whole 7 miles! Have you seen week 15 of the training plan - made me want to go and lie down!!

B&T only looking at week one at the moment !!!! haven't got a fleece headband maybe I Should, the trouble with a woolly hat is that after a while I get too hotor hat starts slipping over my eyes, start getting an itchy head so you take it off then...... what do you do with it ???? carry it or sort of put it under your t-shirt ..... oh no here we go again getting stressed at the silliest things ......... and the training hasn't started yet

Pip, I'm glad your injury is nothing to taxing. I've been so so frustrated with my knee this year. I'm back to running but only a couple of miles 2/3 times a week. And already my muscle is starting to protest. My quads are knotted and my IT band really tight. As soon as I start running it tightens right up - blasted thing.

marathon training started yesterday. Oh my goodness 3 miles felt like 13 !!!!! but I suppose not run for a while. It was good to get out again, even though the prospect of running in the dark,cold and wet is a little bit daunting oh and of course did make the mistake of looking ahead on my running plan to 18,and 20 mile runs eeeeeeeeeeeek !! what have we let ourselves in for again ? are we completely mad ? hmmmmmmmm yes probably but hopefullywill enjoy every [ well nearly] every minute again

oh and I like this one

Hi rebecca good to hear from you... keeping my fingers and toes crossed that my knees/hamstring hold out x

It is just a case of rest ( I know you have probably heard it before, and it is frustrating ) and dipping your toes in the water every now and then to see how the injuries react, and running again when pain free. The day you keep off your injury is the day it starts to recover.

We have one or two runners at our club who have ankle injuries etc. and are still running when they should just keep off it. The best policy for outwitting and outsmarting injuries, as hard as it is, is to keep off it. How can you run in races properly if you are struggling in your training runs !!

Hi Pip. One step at a time. Don't again look too far ahead. As before , that 3 miles will eventually beocme 20, and then 26.2. You have proved that already. .

Hi everyone,If anyone is running the london marathon and would be interested in taking part in an MSc study for University College London on barefoot and minimalist footwear injury rates please contact us at rmhkima@live.ucl.ac.uk or ian.masri.10@ucl.ac.uk

Would you guys and girls mind if I fired a question over to you re my research ?

I am just interested to know how you are feeling at the moment about your pending marathons and all the training involved.

What are your fears and concerns? Are you really confident , or do you think this is something that may not be achievable. I am interested to know exactly how you are feeling and what you think you can do about it. I will certainly help all of you as before and willingly !!, but I hope you ar ok with me firing over some of these questions for feedback from you the marathoners.

Personally I have managed to quell, or minimise, any fears and concerns through my marathon running experiences and would love to be able to pass this on to you guys.

There are many reasons why you should not be 'running scared' in taking this on.

With sensible training and a sense of self belief you will do this !!

There are a couple of you who are an ideal example of this. With all your concerns last time , you successfully completed your marathons , and maybe are now doing your second. You must be saying I have done this once, I can do it again. You are a classic example of somone who has never run a marathon who negotiated it successfully. By successfully, I mean got round and finished. It does not matter whether it takes 6 and a half hours or 3 and a half, or whether you walk or crawl, that is allowed !!. If you finish, you have conquered it, end of story.

Very important to treat the marathon with respect, NOT FEAR. So on that note can I ask you what your fears are and we will try and address all of them. I think I know what you will be saying anyway, but at least we can look at them one by one , analyse them and overcome them, which you can.

I apologise for this being long winded again, but in all my marathon experiences I have come across many things which appear and 9 times out of 10 they can be overcome.

I hope you guys don't mind, but it will certainly give me stuff to put down on my draft copies for my book.

One last thing. If you have read Hal Higdon's marathon book he says anyone who runs a marathon is a winner. Whether you come first, or nearer the back of the field !. Without taking the mystique away from it (as it is one big package from day one of your training) I personally think anyone who actually lines up at the beginning is a winner already. In terms of novice marathoners the hard part is done. The easier bit is getting round. I mean that !!

Bottom line !! if you line up at the start fit and injury free after all your training,with sensible running there is a 99% chance of you finishing. Fact

Personally I was feeling great through December then got a bit unwell pre Christmas. Was worried I,d missed 5 days running I went out on boxing day and did 5.2miles which was absolutely hellish and has set me further back as I now have a chest infection and a bad dose of the flu!!
Feel I'm cheating myself by not running and whereas I should be doing 20 miles this week I,ve done 5...

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